


Just Needs to Wake Up

by Imagines_Dreams



Series: Melendaire Fix-It's [1]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Episode Fix-it, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, because they deserve it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23423581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imagines_Dreams/pseuds/Imagines_Dreams
Summary: They found a way to heal him. It was a complicated surgery followed by medication he needed to respond to followed by physical therapy. It wasn't an amazing option, but it was their only option. The surgery was the most difficult part, but that was it. He just needed to wake up.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Series: Melendaire Fix-It's [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685704
Comments: 52
Kudos: 111





	1. The Worst of It

_“You’re going to be ok, Claire.”_

How was she going to be ok when her hands were shaking? If the hospital hadn’t been overloaded with patients, then she wouldn’t be there. Personal tie to the patient, it clouds judgment and causes trembling fingers. A surgeon’s weakness.

_“I love you, too.”_

His voice was so soft. He was near death, and he still said it to her, and she wanted to hear it again. She had to hear him say it again. Even refute it even he wanted to. 

“Dr. Browne.”

You sniffed and looked up. “Sorry.” 

Dr. Glassman nodded. “It’s just another patient. What’s his profile?”

He was trying to distract her. Claire gladly went along with it. “Male, 44 years old, no history of relevant disorders or conditions.” She took a deep breath. Just another patient. “Took trauma to the head with no signs of concussion, but experienced internal bleeding in the gut.” She gulped. It wasn’t helping. 

_“You. Are. A terrible bowler. Maybe the worst I’ve ever seen.”_

She smiled, just a little. A terrible bowler. She had gotten more strikes than he did at their last game.

“Whatever you’re thinking of, keep it up,” Dr. Glassman said. 

Easier said than done. Still, she focused and let his voice be what grounded her. No matter what, she’d have that. She’d make sure she’d never forget his voice. How he said her name. How he laughed and smiled before shaking his head. How he made sure she wouldn’t suffer alone. 

Neil Melendez had saved her. She was going to do her damned best to save him. Not because she was in some sort of debt, but because she loves him. 

Claire breathed in slowly. _“I’ll see you tomorrow.”_ She breathed out. _“You’re different. You’re smart. You’re special.”_ The clamp had to be exactly forty degrees to the left of the vertical. _“Very. But it’s worth it.”_ His blood pressure was stable. _“Being around you makes me a better surgeon. A better person.”_

Claire loves him, because he made her better. He challenged her and supported in the best way, in a way no one else had been able to. Not Jared. Not Dash. It was Neil. It was always Neil. 

There was something she had read about in those pamphlets about PTSD and anxiety. A dissociation. She wasn’t experiencing it, but it would be the best way to describe how she felt while she operated on him. Because her hands had stopped trembling and she didn’t remember moving like she did. 

And as the hours passed of her replaying her memories of him, her hands went to work. Soon, it was done, and she was scrubbing out. 

“Dr. Browne-”

“When will we know?” She licked her lips and shrugged. She knew the answer. He needed to wake up first. Then, he needed to respond positively to the medication. Even after that, he’d need physical therapy to get used to moving again. Still, it was better than dead. 

Dr. Glassman shrugged. “When he wakes up.”

She nodded. Then, she’d be there. Neil was there for her when she was learning how to recover. She’d be there for him. 

After the earthquake, a few surgeons took sick days. Shaun was still moving on from Lea and recovering from almost drowning. Morgan needed to recover from her injuries. (She made note to visit both of them when time permitted.) Only Dr. Park was working two days after the earthquake, claiming to want to work more even after the trauma he had seen. 

Claire also took a sick day. But she was still at the hospital. It was suspicious and rumor-inducing. 

“Aren’t you sick?” Dr. Lim had asked. 

Claire smiled. “I’m a visitor today.”

“Claire, are you sure about this?”

“My friend is on a hospital bed. He needs someone.”

“Your friend happens to be your attending.”

“As well as the man who encouraged me to seek therapy when no one else did.” She sighed. “I’m going to do for him what he did for me.” It wasn’t the reason she was there, but it should be enough for the gossiping nurses. 

Dr. Lim nodded. “Ok. You know where he is.”

“Thank you, Dr. Lim.”

Claire checked his vitals. His white blood cell count was high, which was good. The medicine, at least on his charts, were working. He just needed to wake up, and when he did, he’d get better. She double-checked everything. The IV wouldn’t need replacing for another hour or so, she she set a reminder on her phone. Check everything every hour to be certain he’d be ok. 

Finally, her gaze landed on his face. Less discoloration, a good sign. He did have hair on his forehead, though.” She almost laughed. Neil would hate it if anyone saw him like that. She pushed his hair back, and she wanted to sigh when her fingers made contact with warm skin. Felt much better than the cold. A good sign. 

He had to be ok. 

She sat down next to him and pulled out her copy of Moby Dick.


	2. Visitors

Shaun visited three days after the surgery. “He’s stable,” he said. “He should be waking up soon.” He tilted his head when he looked at her. “Why have you been here so long?”

She closed her book and shrugged. “He’s my friend, and I want to be there when he wakes up.”

“He won’t wake up until his body has recovered, and seeing as his body went through that much trauma in a short amount of time, he wouldn’t wake up until at least fifty hours post-surgery.” He blinked a few times in thought. “You didn’t want to be away from him.”

She was scared for a moment, but only for a moment. Claire knew Shaun was a great friend. If he figured it out and she asked him not to tell, he wouldn’t. So, she nodded. “Yeah. I care about him.”

Shaun hummed. “I care about him, too.” He walked to the other side of the bed and checked the charts. “But, I have other things to do, and I know he will wake up. You will be here when he wakes up, and he will have you.” He gathered his things. 

“What are you going to do in the meantime?”

“Carly and I are having lunch.”

“Oh.” She knew they didn’t get back together. “You two are having lunch?”

“Yes.” With the backpack perfectly resting on his back, Shaun said, “I don’t love her like I loved Lea, but I want to be friends. I care about her.”

Claire smiled. “That’s great. Have fun, and say hi to her for me.”

“Ok.” Shaun nodded. “Goodbye.”

“Bye.” Claire looked to Neil again. She trusted Shaun. If he said Neil was going to wake up soon, he was going to wake up soon. No point in moving then. 

After opening her book and realizing she had forgotten what page she left on, the words began to blur. She didn’t really trust her own memory.

Claire wished he’d wake up. Sure, the book was interesting, but she didn’t want to read. She wanted to hear his voice and tell him to be more careful. 

Then again, maybe it was she that should’ve been more careful. She was a resident sent to the site of the earthquake to take care of those injured. She had been the one to check Neil. She examined him and agreed with him. He just needed to get an evaluation after performing a surgery on another patient. His injuries could wait.

Why did she let him do that? She should’ve brought him to the ambulance, sent him away. She should’ve stayed and done the surgery, maybe get another doctor to help her, but either way, she should’ve sent him away. Maybe if she did, he’d be ok. He wouldn’t have been on the operating table. He would’ve been on his feet, advising her and scheduling another run when he was better. 

A tear splashed on the book.

Claire took a deep breath and wiped away as much as she could. She found the chapter she hadn’t finished. The words were both familiar and unfamiliar, so she went to the beginning of the chapter. 

Distraction was good when anxiety was becoming overwhelming. 

~ - ~

Dr. Park came to visit after lunch. “How is he?”

“Stable,” Claire said. “Shaun said he’d be waking up soon. A few more hours.”

“That’s good.” Dr. Park crossed his arms. “What’re gonna do when he wakes up?”

She shrugged. “Congratulate him. Make sure he’s ok. Then, go back to work tomorrow.”

There was silence between them for a while, and Claire hated that. Dr. Park had already checked his vitals, but it couldn’t hurt to check again. She repeated the numbers in her head. Good. Good. Good. Within range. A bit on the high side, but good considering. Low and good. Within range. That was fine, too. The IV bag-

“Claire, remember what I said about you and Dr. Melendez.”

She scoffed. “You mean when you took the fall for Morgan?”

“Yes.” He didn’t make eye contact with her, but there was something serious in his voice. It wasn’t the time to argue. Dr. Park sighed. “I don’t know if this is friendship or not, but if you two care about each other” -he paused to take a deep breath, maybe to gather his thoughts or to keep tears at bay- “you shouldn’t wait.”

Shocked, she turned to him. “Not even because of rumors?”

“No.” Finally, Dr. Park met her eyes and smiled. “I figured out that if you love someone, you should spend as much time with them as you can.”

That was different. Something must’ve happened during the earthquake. Something drastic. Taking a guess, Claire asked, “Is this about Mia?”

Dr. Park looked up at the ceiling before answering, “Partly. I’m switching out of St. Andrews. Gonna finish my residency near the people I love.”

Claire smiled. “I thought you wanted to wait until you and Mia were, I don’t know, something.”

“Yeah, we’re still gonna wait, but I’ll be closer.” He smiled. “I’m not gonna let our past affect our future.”

“That sounds nice.” She nodded. “I’m very happy for you.”

~ - ~

“How is he?”

Claire narrowed her eyes. “Uh, you should be recovering.”

“I shouldn’t be using my hands.” Morgan held up her bandaged knuckles. “They’re not being used.”

“Andrews told me that’s what you said last time.”

“Last time there was an earthquake that caused a large influx of patients into the hospital.” She turned to look at the nearly empty hall behind her. “No more influx.” Morgan examined his charts and vitals. “Should be waking up soon.”

“Yeah.” Claire squinted at the bandages. “I really think you should be at home. Better for your hands.”

“And have you be the first to congratulate our attending?” Morgan was joking, and Claire knew that, but it was still something Claire would rather not discuss. So, she just pushed her curls back and flipped through her book. 

“Didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know.”

Margan sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I reported him. It was selfish.”

“You could do it again.” Claire closed her book and set it down beside her. 

“But I won’t.” Morgan sat down next to her. “Even if I wanted to do the selfish thing, it wouldn’t benefit me. If I reported Dr. Melendez again or anything between you two, it would only make me seem selfish. I reported him once. Reporting him again for the same thing or something similar?” She shrugged. “Disadvantageous.” Morgan straightened her back, making sure to flip her hair over her shoulder. “Plus, the only way to beat you is to be better.” She smiled at Claire. “And milk all the sympathy I can get from getting the surgery.”

For the first time since Neil’s surgery, Claire laughed. “I wish you all the luck then.”

“Won’t need it.” She glanced at Dr. Melendez. “He won’t need it either. Too stubborn. You, though?”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re already blaming yourself, aren’t you?”

Claire’s eyes widened. Was it possible to go from appreciating a person to being uncomfortable that quickly? She gulped. “Maybe.”

“Well, from what I heard, there’s nothing you could’ve done. Plus, he’ll be ok.”

“After rounds of antibiotics and physical therapy.”

“Look, we can’t change the situation we’re in. We can only try to fulfill life as much as we can before it ends. Either way, not your fault. Just stating facts.” Morgan got up and before Claire could say anything, Morgan said, “Goodbye, Dr. Browne,” and was out the door.

Claire closed her eyes and sighed. Morgan had a point. Even if it was her fault, there wasn’t anything that could be done, not when he was still sleeping. The only thing she could do is think about what to say when he wakes up.

_“I love you, too.”_

He had said it back. When both of them thought he was going to be gone, she admitted it, and he said it back. Ideally, they could try it. Go on a date, see how things go. 

But, Claire was a resident. He was her attending. Romance wasn’t in the question. 

Did Neil just say that to comfort her? Was it out of pity or the heat of the moment? He had no one there but his residents. His sister was on her way but she was far. Did he say it so he wouldn’t be lonely?

Quickly, Claire opened Moby Dick and flipped to an early page to look at her annotations. Distractions. She needed a distraction. Then, when he woke up, she’d congratulate him and prepare for anything. Heartbreak, joy, denial. Either way, that was a few hours from now. And now, she needed a distraction.

~ - ~

Neil woke up, and it was too bright. He’d thought death would be less strenuous on the eyes. And more comfortable. His abdomen was tense, and his back was stiff. 

Blinking the light away, he stretched his arms, but something was pulling against him.

An IV. Bandages. He wasn’t dead. He was in the hospital. He was still there. 

“Neil!”

That voice. He beamed. “Mi amorcita.” He smiled up at his sister. “Hi.”

Gabi kissed his forehead. “You’re better.”

“I am.”

“I couldn’t get Mom or Dad to come,” she said.”

Neil winced, but he just smiled. “I just need you.”

His sister beamed. “And her!” she said.

He knew who his sister was talking about before he saw her. When Neil finally laid eyes on her, he couldn’t help but smile. Claire had tucked herself into one of those uncomfortable chairs and dozed off. A copy of Moby Dick was on her lap, and she wasn’t in scrubs. She had taken the day off. Whether it was solely to watch over him or not, he was grateful to have her there. 

Why did he even think he was going to die when Dr. Browne was in the same hospital as he.

“Gabi, we should let her sleep,” he said. “We can talk about other things though. What fun are you having at home?” And so, his sister told him about a new game she had and how much she enjoyed it. He asked her questions about it and enjoyed seeing her smile. 

Silently, Neil had already thanked Claire and his team for saving him. If anything, at least he got to see his sister again.

~ - ~

Gabi had left, and he had promised her that he’d visit as soon as he was able. Until then, videochats were mandatory. 

Dr. Glassman and Dr. Lim came in. They respected his wishes to let Claire sleep and updated him. He was to stay in the hospital for a month on a slew of antibiotics he had already listed in his head. Afterward, a few months of physical therapy. A six to eight-month full recovery. 

They both shared sentiments with him, and he was grateful.

After that, he was alone. Well, except for Claire Browne, who was still sleeping in that chair. Thankfully, he got a nurse to put a blanket over her. The hospital AC was cruel during cold nights. 

He debated for a few minutes on whether he should wake her up. The selfish part of him wanted to wake her up, ask if she really meant what she said, and see what she thought would be best moving forward. Another part of him wanted to wait for her to wake up, let her sleep after the past few hours or days.

Then there was the sensible part of him. Because whether she woke up on her own or because of him, they’d have to talk about what happened, if she even meant it. He was her attending. He was a decade older than she was. Romance wasn’t supposed to happen. It was inappropriate. It was forbidden. It was bad.

But Neil couldn’t deny that he loved her. Because when he thought he was dying, he was glad she would be the last thing he saw. Not Audrey nor Jessica. Claire Browne, the brilliant resident with too big a heart. Even in that moment, with stitches in his chest and side, laying on an uncomfortable cot he thought he was going to die in, he was happy. Because Claire was right there. 

Whichever way the conversation would go, it was better to get it over with. 

He cleared his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I leave for a few hours and there's 5 comments??? Guys, I'm not the only one broke up after this?? I'm happy, sad, confused, and very relieved I'm not alone. Btw, probably gonna finish most of it tonight, because lord knows I'm not sleeping until these two at least have a plan for what they're gonna do in their relationship. In short, canon isn't canon unless we say so, and melendaire lives.


	3. Awake

Claire was uncomfortable. Her body ached from being cramped in the hospital chair. 

“You’re not in uniform, Dr. Browne.”

That voice. “Neil?” She rubbed her eyes and looked at him again. Then, she smiled. She couldn’t help it. He was awake and alive, and he looked good. No more grey-ish skin or foggy eyes. Just Neil. “Hi,” she said, breathless. 

The joy was short-lived, though. She needed to check his vitals. She threw the blanket off and stood up.

“Woah, it’s ok,” Neil said.

“But-”

“Dr. Lim and Dr. Glassman were already here.” 

They were? Why didn’t anyone wake her? “So you’re aware of the rounds of-”

“Antibiotics, including aminoglycosides, for at least the next month with weekly check-ups-”

“Also the lab tests.”

“Which can be interpreted as part of the weekly check-up.” He almost laughed. “After, a few months of physical therapy. Then, I’m home free.”

Claire sighed. “I should still check-” 

“I’m fine.”

“-your cell count.” She let out a deep breath. “Please.”

He gazed at her. Whether it was because he was unsure or surprised, she didn’t know. Still, he sighed and pointed to the counter. “Go ahead.”

Relieved, Claire smiled. “Thank you.” She checked. Then, she read the numbers out loud to make sure she was reading it correctly. “Still high.”

“Which is good.” He laughed. “You should trust me more. I’m usually right.”

She scoffed. This arrogance again. “Except when you’re wrong.” She sat on the bed and shrugged. “Which has happened quite a few times.”

“It’s rare.” He nodded at her. “I was right about you, wasn’t I?”

Claire paused. She didn’t know what he was talking about. The only things she could think of were his compliments. Each thing that left her breathless and questioning everything about herself and her feelings. She brushed her hair back. “About me?”

“You’re different, smart.” He smiled, and all the humor that was once in the room was gone. “You’re special.” Neil glanced down, looking at her hand, but he didn’t do anything. He just gazed at her again and said, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saving me.”

Claire laughed. “I was only part of the solution.”

“Humble as always.”

“I’m serious.” She shrugged. “I found the drugs, but the surgery was mostly Glassman and Lim.”

“I already thanked them for that.” He took a deep breath and stretched out his fingers. “I’m thanking you right now, for helping with the surgery, the plan to get me better, and for being there.”

Claire wanted to respond desperately. There were just too many words, too many things she wanted to say, and she couldn’t say it. She couldn’t string them together into a coherent thought, much more a coherent sentence, and before she could say something, anything, Neil spoke again, “I don’t know if you meant what you said, but I did.” He gulped. “Whether it’s true or not, thank you.”

Confused, Claire asked, “Whether it’s true or not?”

“When you said it,” Neil smiled, “I knew that I could go, and that” -he took a deep breath, and tears started to well up in his eyes- “that I’d be ok if the last thing I saw was you.”

Her lip started to tremble. She bit it harshly. There were too many feelings. Relief that he did love her. Confusion because why would he be ok if the last thing he saw was her. Shock because this was not how she pictured confessing her love for Neil. Love because even when he thought she might not love him, he was giving her an out, just like she had done a long while ago. 

Her inhale was shaky. “I don’t hate your tattoo.” 

Neil laughed. It was a broken laugh. He stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath, preparing for something. 

She laughed. “But, I do love you.” She shrugged. “I meant that.”

Just like that, Neil’s focus was back on her, and she couldn’t help the giggle when she saw his shocked, maybe awestruck, expression. Those wide eyes and timid smile, it was something she hadn’t seen from him yet. Since he was going to be ok, it was possible to find out more about him, maybe fall more in love with him. 

Overwhelmed by her own feelings, Claire avoided his gaze and tucked her hair back behind her ear. His hand caught her eye. He was still stretching his fingers as if trying to get rid of an itch he couldn’t scratch. 

Slowly, she inched her hand towards his until her fingertips were gently resting on his hand. Claire looked up, just to see if he would protest, and just as she did, Neil reached out and held her hand. 

The two of them finally met eyes, and both of them smiled ever so slightly. They had spent so much time avoiding it, and finally, they could do something. 

Claire was just so happy his skin wasn’t cold. Since she was done fighting her urges, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his forehead. She could feel Neil relax under her, and she nearly cried from feeling how his chest moved up and down as he breathed. 

She didn’t want to pull away, so she didn’t. Her forehead simply rested against his, and neither of them could hide the smiles. 

Both of them just stayed there, because, in that moment, they were both ok and together, and nothing could change that. 

Reality was still out there, though. There was an age gap, an inappropriate power dynamic. A hospital policy that could cast either one of them out.

And Neil was the unlucky one to realize it first. “What are we going to do?”

Claire sniffed and wiped her tears before sitting back up. “I don’t know.” She reached out to wipe a stray tear from his cheek. “You’re my attending.”

He stared at the ceiling, his mind working overtime as to how he could fix this. The first solution he thought of wasn’t ideal. “I could move hospitals.”

“No.” Claire shook her head. “No, that’s too much. I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking.”

“Neil.”

He sighed and stared at their hands instead. He’d keep that plan on the back burner. Just in case. “Well, technically, for six to eight months, I won’t be your attending.” He raised his eyebrow, almost teasing her.

Claire tilted her head. “You can’t be serious.”

“You have a better plan.”

She laughed. “I guess not.” With a squeeze of his hand, she offered, “We’d still have to be careful.”

“We’ll take it slow, then. I’m a patient man, Claire.” 

“Until when?” she teased. “Until I get my board certification or I become, I don’t know, a fellow here?” She shook her head with a laugh. That would take years.

Neil didn’t speak while she laughed, but when she was quiet, he smiled. “Yeah.”

She stopped, almost frozen. Who knew that one word could feel like a bucket of ice? Claire took a deep breath. “Did you say yes?”

He nodded.

“Neil, you’d be waiting a long time.”

He shrugged. “We’ll have platonic outings until then. Keep everything quiet, slow.” His thumb rubbed circles into her skin. “Whatever you need.”

She held her breath. This couldn’t be real. Neil Melendez, this amazing man she was already honored to call her friend, loved her. Not only that, he was willing to wait for her to catch up with him professionally. “You’re serious?” she asked, just to be sure.

“Yes.” He smiled, just for a second before admitting, “I love you, Dr. Claire Browne.”

She smiled, and her cheeks ached from smiling too much, but it couldn’t be helped. “I love you, too, Dr. Neil Melendez.” Claire laughed. She had never called him that before.

Neil sighed and relaxed into the uncomfortable cot. “Told you. I’m always right.” He didn’t let go of her hand. 

She did let go of his though. Only for a second to grab a book from her purse. Claire sat back on the bed and showed him the cover. 

“Pride and Prejudice?” Neil laughed. “You can’t be serious.”

She shrugged. “If I had to read Moby Dick by your bedside, you’re going to have to listen to the book I’d read on a remote island in Thailand.” 

With a sigh and an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Neil said, “On one condition.” He pointed at her hand before holding out his own. 

Claire laughed. “Fine.” She put her hand in his, cleared her throat, and began to read. The two were happy, and the rest of the hospital seemed to know, for no one disturbed them for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe a chapter or two more, not sure. Either way, as said before, canon is optional and melendaire lives.


End file.
